Make Hamburgers at Home (+ video)

16 July 2009

With the beginning of summer, outdoor grilling is a great way to have a meal in your backyard. It gets you out of the kitchen and sometimes, means someone else is grilling. Kristine Synder of Maui has entered cooking contests for many years and won the 2008 Sutter Home Winery "Build a Better Burger" grand prize with the recipe below.

Place the sausage in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and add the chuck, papaya, onion and spiced salt. Combine well, handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it.

2 small ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise (she called for a Hass avocado because they were a sponsor)

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, preferably Meyer variety

1/2 cup ripe papaya, coarsely chopped

5 cups chopped watercress

2 small Maui or other sweet onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons shoyu (preferably Yamasa)

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Pour the oil into a fire-proof skillet and heat on the grill until it reaches its smoking point.

While the oil is heating, halve the avocado slices and place in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss gently. Layer the papaya, watercress, onions, garlic, and pepper flakes over the avocado and carefully drizzle the hot oil over the top. Add the shoyu and toss to combine.

Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the patties of the rack, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, basting often with the glaze until the desired doneness is reached. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the buns cut side down on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread the goat cheese spread over the cut side of the bun tops. Place a patty on each bun bottom and top with equal portion of the salad. Add the bun tops and devour.

Kristine recommends that because of the papaya's tenderizing enzyme, do not make burgers more than two hours before grilling. Some sweet onions can still have a pungent bite. To remove the "bite," soak the onion slices in iced water for 15 to 20 minutes; drain on paper towels. The quality of the buns or rills is more important than the type. They should be fresh and moist but not airy or delicate; they need to be substantial enough to hold the patties without falling apart.

If you do not eat beef, you can create a burger with chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon or even portobello mushroom.